Fox Among the Pigeons
by RockSunner
Summary: What if Volpina was more careful where she cast the illusion of a crumbling building?
1. Deceived

What if Volpina was more careful with her illusion of a collapsing building and avoided the pigeon?

 **Fox Among the Pigeons**

 **Chapter 1: Deceived  
**

"Where did he go?" Ladybug asked herself. She had been chasing Hawk Moth, but he flitted from building to building.

She took a step forward and a square lit up around her foot. She slid her foot around and the square followed. There was a beep. Suddenly missiles were pointing at her from every direction.

"I wouldn't move an inch if I were you," said Volpina, looking down at her from a higher part of the roof.

Ladybug gasped in surprise at the betrayal by a supposed fellow hero.

"Don't worry Ladybug, I don't wanna be your friend. At least now you won't be able to say we don't know each other," said Volpina, laughing.

"Lila?"

"You will call me Volpina!"

"You're not a superhero. You're another one of Hawk Moth's akumatized victims!"

"Everyone thinks I'm a superhero, including Cat Noir. So you won't be able to call me a liar anymore 'cause everyone will think you're the liar."

Hawk Moth spoke in Volpina's mind. "Take Ladybug's Miraculous. Her earrings, now!"

"Before I get rid of you, you are going to give me your Miraculous."

"Never!"

Ladybug's bravery in the face of the missiles called Volpina's bluff, though Ladybug didn't know it. She had to make her threat credible some other way.

"You don't have much of a choice. Either you give me your Miraculous, or the building goes down!" said Volpina, pointing at a building nearby.

"You wouldn't," said Ladybug.

Volpina blew on her flute. She was about to cast an illusion over the building, when she noticed that there were too many pigeons near it that might disrupt the illusion. She cast it on a building across the street instead, creating the illusion it was crumbling and falling.

Ladybug said, "Stop!"

Hanging her head in defeat, Ladybug removed her earrings. Innocent lives were at stake.

Volpina came to her and took the earrings. She looked closely at Marinette.

"I think I've seen you somewhere around school today, from a distance," said Volpina.

Marinette said nothing.

The missiles disappeared. The building across the street looked perfectly undamaged again.

"It's an illusion!" said Marinette. "Just like the meteorite! Just like Hawk Moth! That's your power, Volpina, isn't it? Illusion, lies. Of course!"

"I'm strong enough to push you off the building," said Volpina. "That real enough for you?"

Marinette argued desperately. "Your building stunt has attracted witnesses – see them down there? Committing a murder in front of them won't help your superhero image."

"I can make it look like suicide," said Volpina.

"The great superhero who stopped a meteorite failed to stop a suicide right in front of her? That won't make a good impression on the city... or Adrien."

"Leave her alone for the time being," said Hawk Moth to Volpina. "She's powerless; we can eliminate her later. I want you to bring me her Miraculous right now."

"First, I want to go impress the boy I like and take him on a date," said Volpina aloud.

"No, I can't risk you getting interrupted by Chat Noir and losing the earrings. Bring them to me now."

"If you insist," said Volpina.

She leaped into the air and bounded away.

Marinette fell to her knees. She had lost, but she couldn't dwell on her defeat – there was something she had to do. She had to warn Adrien.

Marinette got out her phone and wracked her brain for the number she had once used to leave a message on his phone, an embarrassing message that she had to steal his phone to erase. It wasn't that long ago... wait, her phone had a log of calls she made. There it was!

She got a voicemail and spoke quickly. "Adrien, this is Marinette. I have to warn you... watch out for Lila. She's been akumatized into a villain called Volpina with the power of illusions. She's coming over to your house soon to try to take you on a date. She's dangerous – please hide or get out of the house before she gets there. She's stolen Ladybug's earrings. If someone comes to you looking like Ladybug, it's not her. If you want to hide at my house that would be fine. You know, the bakery at 12 Rue Gotlib. My parents have done that for my friends before. I can't get there for a while. I'm stuck on a roof downtown. Long story. Please hide and be safe. Bye."


	2. Volpina Checks In

**Chapter 2: Volpina Checks In**

Volpina followed Hawk Moth's directions to his lair. She was surprised to find that it was the same place she was going to visit for her date – the Agreste mansion.

Volpina had been told to enter the attic through a circular window on the south side. She leaped over the wall easily. First, she took a look through a west-facing window into Adrien's room. He wasn't there. Oh well.. she would find him eventually.

Lila had scoped out everything ahead of time when she first learned that she would be going to the same school as Adrien Agreste. She had set her sights on becoming the girlfriend of the rich and famous fashion model.

It would have been perfect, except for Ladybug. Adrien apparently had a celebrity crush on the famous superhero. Now that she was a "superhero" herself, and Ladybug was out of the picture, things were going to be very different. Now she could tell him that Ladybug lied about her because she was jealous, and that she had left town because she felt inferior to Volpina.

Volpina went around to the south side and found the circular window with the iris-style hatch open. She leaped through the missing center pane.

Hawk Moth was waiting. "Excellent work, Volpina. The Miraculous, please."

Volpina placed the earrings in his hand, and he laughed with delight.

"May I go now?" asked Volpina. "I'd like to find my date."

"May I ask who you are going out with?"

Volpina had an uneasy feeling about the question. "Nobody you know. A boy named Ramon."

"I can see through your eyes and hear through your ears," said Hawk Moth. "I saw you check out the room of the boy who lives in this house, Adrien Agreste. The former Ladybug, whose real name I have now remembered is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, also said something about you impressing Adrien."

"All right, I admit it," said Volpina. "It's Adrien I'm interested in. So what?"

"I happen to be interested in his welfare, and highly protective about who he associates with."

"I'm not good enough for him, is that it? What are you, his father?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you must be his father: Gabriel Agreste."

"Too bad. I was going to let you catch Chat Noir, but now I think you're more trouble than you're worth."

"You promised I could keep this power if I got you what you wanted!"

"I lied."

"You still don't have Chat Noir's Miraculous. Let me get it for you. It will be easy – he trusts me."

"But I can no longer trust you. My next akuma victim can finish the job."

"No, please!"

"Come back to me, little akuma." The purple butterfly flew back out of the fox ornament on her necklace and into the glass bulb on the top of his cane.

Volpina turned back to Lila Rossi. Unlike what happened when an akumatized object was broken, she retained all of her memories. Lila was haunted by the memory of Marinette's face when she was threatening to kill her.

Hawk Moth pulled the sword out of his cane and pointed it at her.

"You are coming with me. Don't bother trying to yell for help. My secret rooms are soundproofed."

He forced her to a spot where there was a circular edge cut into the floor. They both stood on it, with Hawk Moth gripping her right arm, and an elevator took them down, then sideways. The elevator came up into another secret room.

Hawk Moth walked Lila down a long hallway until he came to a door on the left.

"This was originally a closet. I converted it to a padded cell where I could hold the civilian form of Chat Noir or Ladybug as a hostage for the Miraculous of the other member of the team. I will use it for Marinette once I capture her, but for now it will be perfect for holding you."

"You'll be sorry if you don't let me go! My father is a diplomat with a team of twelve black-ops secret service agents who will find me and make you pay for this."

Hawk Moth scoffed. He unlocked the door. The room was a little over half a meter wide, half a meter deep, and two meters tall. Hanging by a chain bolted to the ceiling was a pair of handcuffs.

Lila struggled as Hawk Moth pushed her in, but he was too strong for her. He got her arms behind her back and fastened the cuffs to her wrists.

"I'm going back to my lair to look for a more suitable candidate. I'll come back for you tonight when my wife is awake. She will be happy for some fresh blood."

"Y-you make her sound like a vampire."

"She is."

Hawk Moth slammed the door and locked it, leaving her in darkness. She was facing away from the door with no room to turn around. Hot, dusty air came from a vent above her.

Even though she knew it would do no good, Lila screamed for help.


	3. Revelations

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

Chat Noir tried to call Ladybug on his baton line. It went to voicemail.

"Ladybug, where are you? I've lost track of Hawk Moth and I don't know where you and Volpina went. Please call back."

The baton could also access the internet. In desperation, Chat tried the Ladyblog.

"Building crumbled, then fixed," someone had posted. "Didn't see the ladybugs fixing it this time."

There was an attached video showing the building falling apart, then returning to normal moments later. Chat recognized that part of town. It was probably the work of an akuma – a good place to pick up the trail of Hawk Moth again, if not Ladybug and Volpina.

* * *

Chat vaulted across the city and landed on the building that had featured in the video.

"Chat Noir, help!" called a voice from across the street. It sounded like Ladybug.

Chat vaulted over in a second. He found Marinette, holding up her cell phone and playing a recording. It repeated "Chat Noir, help!" once more before she canceled it.

"Chat Noir! I'm so glad to see you!" said Marinette.

"Why were you playing that ?" asked Chat.

"I've been stuck here for a while. I wanted to save my voice," said Marinette.

"How did you get up here?"

"Volpina," said Marinette. "She's not a superhero, she's an akuma victim who casts illusions. The Hawk Moth we were chasing was a fake. So was the meteorite."

"Oh no! What happened to Ladybug? Did Volpina hurt her?" asked Chat Noir.

"She tricked Ladybug and stole her earrings," said Marinette. "The result is – here I am, stuck on a roof."

"You're Ladybug?" asked Chat. A shock ran through him at knowing his Lady had been so close all along and he hadn't recognized her.

"I was Ladybug," said Marinette sadly. "I'm really sorry for messing up. Now it's up to you to save Paris. But please take me to the ground first."

"Who else knows who you are?"

"Volpina saw me change when she took my earrings. Hawk Moth knows, too. I'm in huge trouble when he comes after me, my family, and my friends."

"I'll protect you. Now that I know, I should tell you who I am, too."

"Don't tell me your identity. I messed up and got tricked – you don't have to be at risk like I am."

"How can I save Paris without you?" asked Chat Noir. "You're the only one who can purify akumas."

"I've been thinking about that," said Marinette. "You should get a jar like butterfly collectors use. You know, a killing jar? When you break the akumatized object, catch the butterfly in it. I'm hoping the akuma energy can't live and multiply without a live host. It's too bad for the poor butterflies, but they don't live very long anyway."

"That might work," said Chat Noir. "But I can't repair damage like your Miraculous Ladybug charm."

"I know," said Marinette. "At least Volpina hasn't done any real damage. But in the future the city will have to repair akuma damage on its own."

"This is really bad," said Chat.

"I know," said Marinette. "I failed completely. I... don't blame you if you hate me now."

"I don't hate you..." said Chat. "In fact... I..."

"We don't have time for this," said Marinette. "Volpina is giving my Miraculous to Hawk Moth. After that, she's going after Adrien Agreste."

"Why Adrien?" asked Chat.

"I know who she is," said Marinette. "Her name is Lila, and she's a new student at my school. She was making a play for Adrien, pretending to be a superhero to impress him. She also claimed to be a close friend of Ladybug. I came in as Ladybug and exposed her lies."

"What's her plan now?"

"She said now that everyone thinks she's a hero she can say Ladybug was lying, and win Adrien back. Oh no, Adrien might believe her!"

"I'm sure he won't."

"I have evidence at my house that could help convince him. Lila stole a book from Adrien at the school library today. She saw it fall on the floor when he dropped it. Instead of giving it to him she scooted it away with her foot and kept it."

"You saw all this?"

"Yes, I was watching from behind a bookcase."

Interesting if a bit stalker-ish, thought Chat. "Why didn't you tell m– him?"

"I was going to but... my kwami, Tikki, told me the book might be very important. I never found out why, and now I guess I never will. I'll never see Tikki again."

"I'm sorry about your kwami. But what did you do about the book?"

"I followed Lila, first to a jewelry store and then to the park near the school. She was looking at the book and she put on the fox necklace. When she saw Adrien coming she dumped the book in a trash bin."

"A trash bin? It's there now? It's important I get it back – to Adrien."

"I got it out of the bin. I doubled back to the park and got it when everyone was gone. It's at my house now. If you take me there I'll give it to you, to give to Adrien."

"I'll do that."

"We've got to hurry. You must save Adrien from Volpina," said Marinette.

"Consider him already saved," said Chat.

* * *

Adrien slipped into the mansion with the book in his school bag. He peeked into the atelier. Neither Nathalie nor his father was there.

"Plagg, help me open the safe again and put this book back."

"I'm hungry. Feed me first," said the Cat kwami.

"Please, my father could come in at any minute," said Adrien.

"All right, but I expect extra Camembert."

Plagg slipped into the safe and popped the door open. Adrien placed the book as close to its original orientation as he could.

There was a mechanical noise beneath his feet. Adrien quickly closed the safe door and the picture concealing it. He rushed to the nearest hiding place, which was behind Nathalie's desk.

Gabriel Agreste came up on a concealed elevator platform that Adrien had never suspected. His father got out his cell phone and called someone.

"I'm in the middle of something important, but I have to follow up on that mismatched material problem from this morning," said Gabriel. "Have you arranged for a new supplier?"

He listened for a moment and said, "All right. Next time, be more careful."

Gabriel opened the picture, opened the safe, and placed something into it. He closed and locked the safe. Then he pressed his fingers into hidden points on the picture, making the elevator take him down below.

Adrien was flabbergasted. What was his father doing in whatever secret rooms were down there?

"Plagg, I have got to get into that safe again."

"You promised Camembert!"

"This is an emergency. Something weird is up. I have to see what my father just put in there."

Plagg relented and got the safe open again. On the top shelf, next to a peacock pin, were two earrings with ladybug spots.

Adrien covered his mouth to keep from screaming. Hawk Moth! His father was Hawk Moth.

Instantly Adrien knew what he had to do. He picked up everything: the earrings, the peacock pin, and the book. He put them all into his bag and rushed out again.

He had to get to Marinette.


	4. Bait and Swatch

**Chapter 4: Bait and Swatch**

Marinette was face down on her bed, finally letting herself cry. Her life was a disaster! What was she going to tell her parents? She would have to admit everything. The family would have to leave Paris, leave the bakery and everyone they knew. Maybe not... Hawk Moth might leave her alone – he had what he wanted from her. Or was he the sort of villain that would seek revenge?

An akuma villain fluttered down to land on her roof. "I'm here, Hawk Moth."

"Excellent, Swatch. Bring the girl to me and then you may take your revenge on those who have blacklisted your fabric supply company," said Hawk Moth.

"Yes... Gabriel Fashions," said Swatch.

* * *

Adrien arrived at the bakery. Aware of Plagg's hunger, he first placed an order.

"Hi, Mr. Dupain. I'd like a cheese pastry, wrapped to eat later," he said to Tom.

"Hello, Adrien," said Tom. "Since you're one of Marinette's good friends the pastry is on the house."

Adrien put the paper bag with the food into his school bag so that Plagg could start eating it right away.

"Thank you! I'd like to visit Marinette, if I may," said Adrien.

"More Mecha Strike III practice?" asked Tom.

"Just a friendly visit," said Adrien.

"She's been very quiet this afternoon," said Sabine. "I'm sure she'd be glad of some company. I'll escort you up."

They went up through the family apartment. Sabine went up the stairs and knocked at the trapdoor. "There's a friend to see you, Marinette. It's Adrien."

"T-tell him to go away. I mean, I'm resting... taking a nap. I don't want visitors right now," said Marinette.

"Good," whispered Swatch to Marinette. "Come with me quietly and I won't have to hurt anyone else."

Marinette knew that anyone the villain hurt would stay hurt. She nodded her surrender.

* * *

Adrien left quickly and went around a corner out of sight from everyone. He had sensed something in Marinette's tone of voice. Maybe it was just her usual nervousness around him, maybe not. He had to get her Miraculous back to her anyway.

Adrien got the earrings out of his bag and held them in his left hand. He didn't want them to disappear along with his bag when he transformed.

"Plagg, it's time."

"Wait, I'm not finished eating the pastry," whined the Kwami.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir vaulted to the roof. The skylight to Marinette's room was open. He peeked inside and didn't see Marinette.

"Too late, Chat Noir," said an eerie voice. "I've got her."

Chat Noir looked up. Above him floated an akuma villain swathed in colorful fabrics. Two fabric rolls extended from her back as wings. She was carrying a squirming bundle wrapped in a pink bed sheet with black stripes.

"Hey, Cloth Woman. Cats love to get their claws into stuff like that," said Chat.

Chat leaped at the akuma, but it dodged out of his reach. He landed on a nearby building.

"The name is Swatch, and I control all fabrics. I can bind you with your own costume."

Swatch gestured at Chat Noir, but he didn't feel any restriction in his movements.

"Guess what, Swatch! Leather isn't a fabric," said Chat.

He leaped at her again. This time a large object fired out from Marinette's skylight and slammed into him. It continued to punch at him as he landed back on Marinette's roof. It was a large pink and brown cat pillow, with pink paw pads.

"No fair, turning a fellow cat against me. Sorry, Felix!" said Chat. He tore it apart with his claws, but the pieces continued to attack.

Chat heard a slithering sound behind him. A circular pink throw rug, with a black and pink flower design along the edges, came at him, trying to wrap him up.

Chat seized it, wrapped the pillow pieces in it, and threw it back down the skylight. He closed the hatch and locked it.

By now Swatch had gotten further away with her prize, heading west toward the Agreste mansion. Chat Noir extended his pole and vaulted after her.

As he got close, several strips of fabric unwound from the villain. One snagged him around the waist and one grabbed his right arm.

"I'll wrap you up and take you both to Hawk Moth!" said Swatch.

A butterfly-shaped line of light formed around her face. Hawk Moth was communicating to Swatch, possibly encouraging her idea.

The fabric began to reel Chat Noir in, winding around him. He let it bring him close to the bag holding Marinette. He tore a small hole through the bag with his left hand, pushed his hand through it, and opened his hand to show Marinette he had her earrings. She took them.

"Tikki, spots on!"

A moment later, Ladybug's super strength allowed her to punch out of the bag. She started to fall, but quickly caught herself with her yo-yo and landed safely on a roof.

"Lucky Charm!" called Ladybug, getting a megaphone.

Chat Noir was now completely wrapped up and Swatch was flying too high to reach.

"Chat, the cloth around you is also touching her wings!" Ladybug shouted through the megaphone.

"Cataclysm!" said the muffled Chat.

The fabric rotted and fell apart at Chat's destructive touch. The rot spread to the villain's wings and she began to fall. Chat held onto her and got his staff to extend beneath them. They came down slowly.

Ladybug saw a dark piece of paper sticking out of the pocket of the villain's jeans, now exposed since the fabric around her was gone. She snagged it with her yo-yo. She tore the paper in two and the akuma butterfly came out.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma... Time to de-evilize! Gotcha! Bye-bye, little butterfly... Miraculous Ladybug!"

Magical ladybugs flowed back to Marinette's room to repair her bed sheets, rug, and cat pillow.

"Pound it!" said Chat Noir and Ladybug together, bumping fists.

Purple energy flowed off the villain, leaving a middle-aged woman sitting on the ground.

"What happened?" she asked. "Last thing I remember is getting a fax from Gabriel Industries telling me they were blacklisting my fabric business because of a mistake I supposedly made. It wasn't my fault – their order was wrong."

"You were akumatized," said Ladybug. "You're all right now. I'm sure it can be straightened out."

Both their Miraculouses were timing out, but Ladybug took time to say, "Chat Noir, I can't thank you enough! How did you get them back?"

"I'll meet you at your place after I recharge, m'Lady," said Chat Noir.

* * *

Chat Noir, Tikki, and Marinette met on the roof to discuss what to do. Chat told of his discovery of the earrings in the safe of Gabriel Agreste, exposing his identity as Hawk Moth. He also showed the peacock brooch and the book.

"Hawk Moth knows we have the earrings back," said Chat Noir. "We have to find him and take him down now, before he gets away."

"No, we need to do something about the book immediately," said Tikki.

"What is so important about the book?" asked Marinette.

"I can only tell you, Marinette," said Tikki. "It's a kwami secret."

"I'm not going to hide anything from Chat Noir," said Marinette firmly. "He saved me and got my Miraculous back."

"It's all right," said Chat Noir. "You go do what you have to about the book. I've got to do something about my fa–, my foe... Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste."

"Not alone," said Marinettte. "At least get police back-up. And I'll join you as Ladybug as soon as I can."

They split up, with Ladybug taking both the book and the peacock brooch while Chat Noir headed for the Agreste mansion.

* * *

In the end, the police raid was a partial success. Chat Noir was able to show the police the entrance to the elevator shaft from the atelier. They broke through to the hidden rooms. They discovered a secret room with white butterflies, another room with a vampire in a coffin, and the kidnapped Lila Rossi. Gabriel Agreste was nowhere to be found.

Ladybug had joined them by the time they rescued the former Volpina. Lila's voice was hoarse and her face was streaked with tears.

"I'm sorry..." Lila said. "I prayed and promised if I was rescued I would try to change and stop lying."

"I'm sorry, too, for overreacting," said Ladybug. "I shouldn't have said what I said to you."

"Do you think... maybe we could be friends for real?" asked Lila.

"I think we could..." said Ladybug. "If you really turn over a new leaf."

"I will!" said Lila, giving Ladybug a quick hug.

The police took Lila home.

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir met on top of the Agreste mansion.

"Do you think Lila will really change?" Chat Noir asked Ladybug.

"I'll give her a chance," said Ladybug. "You know, trust but verify."

"Things are going to be rough for Adrien for a while," said Chat Noir.

"Where is he?" asked Ladybug. "I hope his father didn't take him away with him."

"I know exactly where Adrien is," said Chat Noir. "With Hawk Moth on the run and away from his butterflies, I think it's time I told you. Maybe your family could give me a place to stay until things cool down?"

"You mean...?"

"I'm Adrien."

"What? Really? All this time I've been pushing you away, when I had a huge crush on your secret identity!"

"And I've been blind to you as Marinette, while crushing on Ladybug."

"We're a fine pair of fools, aren't we?" asked Ladybug.

"A fine pair," said Chat Noir.

They embraced.

The End


End file.
